ով

See also: -ով

Armenian

Alternative forms

  • վով (vov), վեվ (vev), վուվ (vuv), ուվ (uv), հով (hov), հու (hu)dialectal

Etymology

From Old Armenian ով (ov).

Pronunciation

  • (Eastern Armenian) IPA(key): /ov/, [ov]
  • (Western Armenian) IPA(key): /ov/, [ov]
  • Audio (Eastern Armenian):(file)

Pronoun

ով • (ov)

  1. who

Usage notes

Although the relative pronoun որ (or) can be used when referring to both people and things, in recent times it has become common to use ով in place of it when referring to people due to hypercorrection (e.g., “Լևոնը, ով իմ ընկերն է” instead of “Լևոնը, որ իմ ընկերն է”, to express “Levon, who is my friend”)․

Declension

Eastern Armenian
singular
nominative ով (ov)
genitive ում (um)
dative ում (um)
accusative ում (um)
ablative ումից (umicʻ)
instrumental ումով (umov)
locative
  • ովքեր (ovkʻer)
  • ովևէ (ovewē)
  • ովևիցե (ovewicʻe)

Interjection

ով • (ov)

  1. O (vocative particle, used for direct address)

Old Armenian

Etymology

Alternative form of ո (o, who), used before vowels.

Pronoun

ո՞վ • (o?v)

  1. (interrogative) who?
    ո՞վ ոքo?v okʻwho?
    ո՞վ ի ձէնջo?v i jēnǰwho amongst you?
    ո՞վ է դա, ո՞վ է այրդo?v ē da, o?v ē ayrdwho is this man? what man is that?
    ոյր է պատկերսoyr ē patkerswhose likeness is this?
    ո՞վ ես դուo?v es duwho are you?
    զո՞վ առաւել սիրեսzo?v aṙawel sireswhich do you like best?
    ո՞վ եւ ո՞վ իցեն որ երթայցենo?v ew o?v icʻen or ertʻaycʻenwho will go?
  2. who, that, he that, whoever

Declension

pronominal
singular plural
nominative ով (ov) ոյք (oykʻ)
genitive ոյր (oyr) ո (o)
dative ում (um) ոյց (oycʻ)
accusative ով (ov) ոյս (oys)
ablative ումէ, ումմէ (umē, ummē) ոյց (oycʻ)
instrumental որով* (orov*) որովք* (orovkʻ*)
locative ում (um) ոյս (oys)
  • this pronoun has no instrumental forms; they are filled by instrumentals of որ (or)

Interjection

ով • (ov)

  1. O (vocative particle, used for direct address)
    Ո՛վ Տէր ԱստուածÓv Tēr AstuacO Lord!

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Armenian: ով (ov)

References

  • Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1971–1979) “ով”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, Yerevan: University Press
  • Awetikʻean, G., Siwrmēlean, X., Awgerean, M. (1836–1837) “ով”, in Nor baṙgirkʻ haykazean lezui [New Dictionary of the Armenian Language] (in Old Armenian), Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy
  • Petrosean, Matatʻeay (1879) “ով”, in Nor Baṙagirkʻ Hay-Angliarēn [New Dictionary Armenian–English], Venice: S. Lazarus Armenian Academy